


Empty

by F_banana



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Wizardy, Fairy Tale Elements, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-21 06:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9535406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F_banana/pseuds/F_banana
Summary: Trapped in his own glorious castle, Victor Nikiforov search for something that can rescue him.An AU where Victor is a king with magic ability that can't go outside his castle and Yuuri is a hunter that accidentally trapped in that castle too.





	1. Victor

He has a big hole in his heart that nothing can fill.

Drinking water of pride from a gold grail does not enough for him to taste the real life.  
Lying in a bed of blue rose with birds chirping, praising his magnificent move on the ice does not please him to feel loved.

He always wait for something he does not know until now, that he believe will rush through that icy door.

_Knock, knock_

Something coming in a subtle way, not rushing and suddenly popping like anything else. Polite and timid. This thing sure ask for permission. 

_It's weird since he never lock the door_

He feels the urge to open the door by himself, deep in his heart, hoping that this one would give the whole things he starves.

With a deep breath, he opens the door.


	2. Yuuri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in Yuuri's POV. I hope y'all enjoy! 
> 
> P.S. Forgive me for I maybe made some grammatical errors and typos

His face and neck reddened as a man opens the icy door in front of him.

The man has blue eyes and smells like flowers. Tall and a little bit thin. Fair complexion. Platinum-haired. Just perfect.  
He can't help but just stare at the man.

"Who are you?"

A soft voice, half-whisper, tickles his ears and get reddened, too. Soon his tongue felt like he is carrying an elephant in his mouth.

"Is this. .. Is this your residence...?"  
"Yes, but you don't answer my question yet. Who are you?"  
"My name's Yuuri Katsuki," he replies, "I- I don't mean to be an intruder, I am sorry..."

He marches his steps back to outside of the room, but suddenly the same soft voice hold him back.

"Accompany me.... Just an hour is okay..."

_Can I accompany you for more than one hour?_  
His heart speaks, but Yuuri is smart enough to not speak it out loud.

The man gestures to Yuuri to come in. Yuuri follows. Then, they both sit on a large, red sofa made of leather.

"What do you want, sweetie? Bourbon? Vodka? Gin? Or just a cup of tea?"  
"Tea, please."

Both of them sip their cup silently. The room is so cold; yet today is another day of summer.  
But in the next few minutes, the temperature gets warmer and warmer.  
"Don't you feel that?" Ask the man so sudden that Yuuri almost jump out of the sofa.  
"... Feel what?" Ask Yuuri back, feeling dumb.  
"This room gets warmer. I think it's because of you."  
Yuuri's cheeks blushes again.

"Now tell me your story," the man says, calmly, "How you arrive here."  
"Well, um, Sir ---"  
"Victor."  
"Uh oh, ok, Victor... Honestly I don't have any idea how I get here.... All I remember is I fell asleep when I got lost in the middle of the woods near your castle."  
Victor frowns.  
"Is this all a dream...?" Yuuri wonders.  
"Then don't wake up," Victor says.  
Both of them stare at each other.  
"The spirit of the woods must have brought you to this palace of mine. This is not a dream, love."  
Yuuri gazes at Victor's blue eyes.  
"Thank you for your hospitality, Victor, but now I must go back home. Maybe I'll visit you another time."  
"Unfortunately I myself don't know where's the exit..." Victor says with a blank face. "Trapped in my own palace, oh, what a pitiful man! I'm afraid that you have to stay with me."

_Stay with this ice king? Victor, you must be joking,_ Yuuri thinks.  
But the idea does not seems that crazy, though, as Yuuri live alone. His parents died several years ago, and his sister married to a wealthy merchant who lives oversea, so his sister does not live with Yuuri anymore. He gain foods by hunting in the woods.

"Um... Thanks, Sir, eh, Victor."

Victor must be a wizard, because with only a clap, a plate of beef steak appears on Yuuri's lap. "Eat," Victor says calmly, "I know you are hungry".  
"Umm... Victor?"  
"Yes?"  
"Why don't we eat at a dinner table?"  
"Why, oh, because I don't know where the dinner room is. But if you want a table--"  
"No no no! Nevermind, Victor, I'm okay with this."

_He is clueless, he is really trapped in his own palace._

The beef steak is delicious and juicy. Yuuri loves the sprinkle of pepper on the meat. Currently this is the best meal he has ever had; but Yuuri feels something is missing in this cooking.

Still, it is the best food he ever tasted, for the first time in forever.  
And another clap from Victor, Yuuri drinks another cup of tea. It's a green tea.

After Yuuri finished his dinner, Victor arrows many questions.  
"Where do you live?" Ask him, curiously.  
"Oh, I lived in a small cottage near the woods."  
"Have you known this castle before?"  
"Since the woods lie side to side with your castle, so yes."  
"How old are you?"  
"23 or 24... I'm not sure."  
"Why?"  
"My family seldom celebrate my birthday, almost never."  
"Why?"  
"Because we were too poor to buy a birthday cake."  
"Why must cake?"  
"I don't want to celebrate my birthday with just a porridge and a pork's limb."  
"Why you look prettier than one hour ago?"  
"Eh?"  
"I'll repeat, why you look prettier than one hour ago?"  
"Why you look so pale?"  
"Whoa, sweetie, chill," Victor's hands are in the air, pretend to surrender.  
This endless debate is not good for spending the night. Yuuri can't handle the urges of sleeping that entangled his head; he starts to yawns before he can controls it.  
"Don't tell me you don't know where another bedroom is, Vic."  
"But I have two pillows and a large blanket."  
"Can't you just create a room in this room? Or at least another bed?"  
" I can't do any magic regarding this castle, dear... Including adding a room or make a room disappear..."  
"So you are really a prisoner in your own castle."  
One clap, and Yuuri's black robe changes to a silk, robe-like pyjamas that is white in color.

Yuuri's heart beats faster when he lays his head on the pillow beside Victor's, who is, now, bare-chested. Victor is already asleep as he tries to shut his eyes.  
Now his tiredness flies away; he tries to count the lamb but fail. He tries to changes his position but avoiding face-to-face with Victor. Still, it does not work, at all.

"My lil' guest is having trouble-sleeping..."  
"WHOAHH!"  
Yuuri takes a look and seeing Victor smiling at him.

_How gorgeous._

"Sleep... "

With just one touch on his cheek, finally Yuuri lost his conciousness into a deep sleep...


	3. The Oddity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri begins to realize what's wrong in Victor's castle

Yuuri's not here. Not by his side anymore. Suddenly he feels empty. His hole in his heart isn't getting smaller.

Yuuri is just like another thing that used to pay a single visit in Victor's life.

He stares blankly at the icy door. But wait. The door is no longer icy anymore. It reveals some big and beautiful wood carvings that covers every inch of the door. The door itself looks warm and soft and... Strangely, feels like home.

Then someone is kicking on that door from the outside. Once, twice, three times. Non-stop kicking.  
"Victor are you theeeere? Heelp meee!"

It's Yuuri. Victor can't stop smiling from now on. Gently, he opens the door.  
Here Yuuri is. He brings a tray with two large bowls, two small plates, two chopsticks, and two clay cups of ocha tea on it.  
"This is my thank-you-for-welcoming-me," Yuuri says cheerily, " I found a way to your kitchen, it's weird enough since it doesn't too far from your bedroom."  
Victor frowns his forehead. "But ever since I lived here I can't find my way to any room and place... My steps kept ended here in my bedroom."  
"Even if you use your magic?" Yuuri wonders.  
"Yep. But from that day I learned that I am only a wizard not a GPS."  
"Oh I also bring it with me," says Yuuri as he unfolds a board under the tray, after he asks Victor to hold the tray and bowls, plates, and cups. It is a small table that kings and queens usually use when they have breakfast in bed.  
"Where the hell you found this, Yuuri...?"  
"In your kitchen. Now, eat," Yuuri replies as he claps his hand, pretending to do magic.

They finished their breakfast in no time. The best breakfast Victor ever had. This meal is even better than the meal from his magic. Yuuri has told him that the meal is called "Katsudon".  
"I am sorry I don't have appetizer for us," Yuuri admit, "But, hey, try this cake as a dessert."  
Victor takes a spoonful of that cake. This cake is soft, spongy, light, but tasty as well.  
"Looks like you enjoyed my carrot cake," sighs Yuuri happily.  
"Say that again."  
"Looks like you enjoyed my carrot---"  
"WHAT?? HOW DARE YOU TO GIVE ME CARROT----"  
"B-but... I thought you like it..." Yuuri's eyes are watery as he clean up the table.  
Huh?  
Victor? Makes someone crying?  
Victor hurts someone. It's a weird feeling but for the first time in twenty years, Victor is having a heartache. Right now.  
"So sorry... I am so sorry, Yuuri, don't leave me..."  
"It's not your fault, though, I should have ask you first."  
Yuuri looks at Victor's face.  
"But look, Victor, look at the mirror. What do you see?"  
"Ah... I see... The king looks back at me."  
Yuuri laughs as sweet as birdie's chirps.  
"You're bad at joking..." Yuuri giggles, "Look, that's a healthier, fresher version of Victor. Look at that reddened cheek!"  
"Not as red as yours, sweetheart."  
Everytime Victor calls Yuuri like that, Yuuri can't help himself but blushing as red as jalapeno. "See, it is all because of the meal and carrot cake!"

After changing his pyjamas to his usual robe, Yuuri, without hesitates, takes Victor's hand.  
"Now I want to take you somewhere nice."  
"You find the exit door??"  
"Not yet, but it is still a fascinating place."

They step together to the outside of the bedroom, turn left and pass the kitchen, and after a few meters they arrive at a glass door.  
"I don't believe that you have a greenhouse IN your castle."  
Yuuri opens the door widely, and the next seconds Victor is overwhelmed by a sight of tropical paradise just under the same roof as his bedroom.  
He observes in amusement as Yuuri smells the fragrance of every flowers, pick some vegetables from one corner and fruit from another.  
"We will gonna have a festive dinner today, Victor! Look at these bit and cabbage!" Yuuri shouts with a wide smile. Victor, seeing that, just want to fly as high as the Himalayan mountains. Second feeling he'd ever experienced for the first time in the past 20 years.

He realizes how beautiful Yuuri is, how his hair is darker than a night sky, his red cheek, his wide eyes, how he swayed his hips as he moved from corner to corner, how his hands holding fruit and vegetables...

"Victor? Victor?" Yuuri approaches him.  
Uh, he's had an amazing daydream for the past three minutes.  
"Ok, shall we head to the kitchen, chef?"  
"Yup. You come with me. Help me wash this veggies."

xxxx

"I must hire you," Victor says subtly.  
"What for?" Yuuri wonders.  
"To make me healthy by your cooking."  
"You are so helpless."  
"I am not used to eat veggies, though."  
"But you need it. Look at your body! You become stronger everyday," Yuuri grins at him.

"By the way I've had a weird dream last night," Yuuri mumbles. "The same dream I dreamt about when I was a little boy."  
"Then, tell me."  
"In my dream, the little boy-me was skating on a frozen lake with a handsome boy whose has a long, platinum-haired."  
Yuuri looks down to the floor.  
"Does he looks like this?"  
Yuuri looks at Victor and then gasps. In front of him, there's a man of his dream... Victor with long hair. With a single clap, Victor's hair back as usual.  
"The man in your dream is probably me when I was 14".  
Yuuri can't believe that this is not the first time he meets Victor, this is the _second_ time.  
"And that's, also, not a dream, dear."  
Yuuri's head ache with curiousity. Why the universe seems to drives him to Victor? First, that weird first meeting. Second, _this_. Yuuri feels dizzy, literally. Victor suggests that Yuuri should take a rest and sleep early tonight.

Either he realizes it or not, Yuuri's presence makes Victor happier, cheerful, and feels like joy and peace are showered upon him. He enjoys every time together with Yuuri, but his favourite would be a time when they talk about everything before sleep at night.  
"Victor?"  
"Yes, dear."  
"Come to think of it, I can find kitchen and greenhouse in this castle while you can't. I presume that's because this is _your_ residence, not _mine_."  
"So my residence really wants to imprison me here."  
"Have you ever lived a hedonistic life? I mean, lived among people who praise and do whatever you want? And have anything you want?"  
"Hmmm... Yes. That was when I was younger. I was famous because of my skill in ice skating, though. I came from a royal family who enjoyed a jetset life. We even had a private rink, only persons whom we allowed that could use that rink."  
"Really? I LOOOOVE ice skating!! I used to skate on a frozen lake just in the border of the woods when winter came!" Says Yuuri, excited.  
Victor's eyes become wide. Finally someone beside his family shares the same interest as him!  
"I'll show you my quadruple flip someday!"  
"I would love to learn that, Victor!"  
They are exaggerated and share a hug. An awkward one, but still warm.  
"Victor?" Says Yuuri, quietly, still in Victor's arms.  
"Hmmm?"  
"All this luxury, all this resources I find in your beautiful castle, makes me think."  
Both of them engulfed in silent.  
"You want all of this, Victor. You want the luxury and glamorous things in your life. You are imprisoned because of your endless desire."  
Victor gulped.  
"Don't you become tired of feeling never enough?"  
Victor nods. Everything he says are makes sense.  
"You used to get what you want, Victor.... Not what you need..."  
All of the sudden, with Yuuri mildly strikes his hair and both of them hold each other tight, Victor bursts in tears.


	4. Seek for Freedom

 

"Good morning." 

Victor opens his eyes to that voice. There he is, now by his side, his little guest, no, _his_ Yuuri. Looks like Yuuri has already spent several minutes to watch him sleeping. 

"I want to live with you in your small cottage, Yuuri." 

"Huh?" 

"I remember you've said you live alone, right?" 

"I want to live with someone who can hunt and do the house core." 

"I am a fast-learner, though. I am smarter than I look."  

Yuuri smiles. Then, before he realizes it, "I'll take care of you, blockhead." 

"I love you too, Mr. Katsuki." 

"Is living alone so hard for you that makes you out of your mind, Victor?" 

"Is living alone so hard you deny your own heart, Yuuri?" 

Both of them not bartering words for a couple of minutes. Just gazing at each other. 

Yuuri tries to break the ice. 

"... Can I love you...?" 

Why Yuuri had a courage to say that to a person he only knows for four days, that's a mystery until now. But he said that anyway. 

Yes. He fell in love with this ice king. He has waited for this time, when finally they can share their thoughts freely and intimate. There is nothing he can do to take it back. 

"If I can't, I will try to roam this castle to search for the exit..." 

"No no no! Please take me with you!" 

"After we find the exit we can go to separated ways." 

"Stay close to me, Yuuri..." 

Yuuri chuckles. 

"I never feel this loved since 20 years ago, dear..." 

Ugly crying, Yuuri replies, "You don't answer my question yet, Victor." 

"Vitya, honey. That's my childhood name." 

"Then, Vitya?" 

"Yes, you can." 

"At least try to romanticize it a bit!" Yuuri throws his pillow towards this stupid man. 

Morning sun is shining through the window as they hug. They promise to never leave each other. 

 

* * *

 

Victor's hand slowly search from one book to another. He has a mini-library in his room, fortunately, so they can seek for hint about the exit. "No clue, Yuuri," mumbles him, "History, algebra, natural science..." 

Yuuri also search for the right book, but there is no book that suits their needs. But somehow a scroll of perchament slips out from the bookshelf. Of course, Yuuri picks that scroll, then unscroll it. What he finds is a _poem._

"I don't know if this provides us ample information but I think we should take a look at this," says Yuuri as he shows the perchament to Victor. "What do you think?" 

Victor reads it out loud. 

 

_You neither can find the answer from greediness, nor lust, nor proud, nor selfishness._

_The answer is there when you are fulfilled by togetherness._

_For togetherness is from the root of food made of love,_

_And you shall search from the beginning of it._

 

"I don't understand," Victor mumbles again. 

"Neither do I, Vitya," Yuuri replies. 

Yuuri lies his body on the carpet. He takes a deep breath. He wonders what the beginning is. "I'll take you with me, Vitya, but give me a time to solve this game," sighs Yuuri. 

"I am sorry, Yuuri." 

"No need to. This is my responsibility. Maybe that's why the woods spirits sent me here. Well for now I hope we can find a map of this castle." 

Yuuri closes his eyes for a while so he can think about how they gonna find the exit. Maybe they will pack their belongings including meals and garments and start wandering the castle without clue or map. That way is possible since Yuuri will lead. Yuuri will find another room to figure out; the thing that is impossible for Victor alone. Or maybe, like some sort of adventurer or treasure-seeker, they will knocking every single inch of the wall, try to figure out a hidden door or whatever. Or they can just burn this castle. But that means they never see this world again since that means they will burned along with the castle. There's still so much possibility of strategies. 

In the middle of a deep thinking, Yuuri starts to hear a nice bariton voice. 

_Stammi vicino_

_Non te ne andare_

Yuuri opens his eyes and finds out Victor pretends to be dancing with someone. A slow waltz, while Victor continues to hum the rest of the song. To Yuuri's surprise, Victor takes his hands, inviting him to dance together. It takes only two steps for Yuuri to step on Victor's left foot. 

"Ooopsie, Vitya, this is what you can expect from a hunter when it comes to dance," Yuuri giggles. 

"Stammi vicino, Yuuri, non te ne andare." 

"Is that an enchanment?" 

"No, it's just me speaking to you." 

"What's the meaning?" 

"Stay close to me, and never leave." 

Again, as always, Yuuri's cheeks get red. 

"Do we have another library, Vitya?" 

"The only who knows it is you, Yuuri. Guide me." 

 

Instead of a regular walking, they dance through the no-longer-icy door, like a pair of fools. A pair of fools who are fall in love. This is easy to understand. Love is not love if it does not change people to be a fool. And people could be a fool; mostly caused by love.  

 

Kitchen, greenhouse, another rooms, go upstairs, another big room, and then, finally, they reach a big, probably the biggest, library that Yuuri has ever seen. Both Yuuri and Victor still does not have any idea how Yuuri lead them to library. Maybe some sort of hunter's instinc? 

 

They select every possible books and read every single possible chapter. From natural to social science. From astronomy to geology. But maybe the most interesting book is "The Nikiforov Family History". Yuuri doesn't expect this family would be too damn narcissistic. 

"Yuuri, read this," asks Victor. Yuuri pays attention to a particular line and reads it aloud.

"The house reflects you. The house means family. The house is no longer house if you don't want to stay.

You should listen to your heart whether this house is no longer belongs to you or not. Then you can seek for another house that suits you. 

But be careful, make sure your leaving is based on the genuine reason, not because of lust and never-ending yearning. 

 

\- Sergey Nikiforov -" 

"I'M SO DONE WITH THIS HOUSE YOU BASTARD ANCESTOR!" Victor shouts, angrily. 

"Sshhhh.... There are more of them in the next page!" Yuuri whispers, tries to calm him down. 

This time, Victor reads that lines aloud.

"We begin from the beginning as we start our day when the sun rise. Like a seed starts to grow when sun shining through the looking-through barrier. 

 

\- Peter Nikiforov-" 

 

Victor suddenly gets an idea. "Yuuri, listen. I think we should go to the greenhouse for the next clue. Can you see that? 'Beginning of food'. 'Looking-through barrier'. 'Like a seed starts to grow when sun shining.' Only greenhouse that has a looking-through barrier and has seeds growing in it!"

Yuuri's eyes sparks with amusement. "Can't agree more," Yuuri says with excitement. 

"Wait, Victor, what's this?" 

Yuuri pulls out a scroll of perchament from the bookshelf. It is sealed with a red wax with initial "V.N." carved on it. 

"This," Yuuri hands that perchament to Victor, "is belongs to you." 

Victor tears the seal and unscroll the perchament. He takes a deep breath when he realizes what is in that scroll. That's a _map_  of the castle, with "You Are Here" sign in the symbol "library".  But, hey, there's no exit and entrance shown. 

Yuuri and Victor wonder how a map doesn't show an entrance or an exit. "Maybe a little magic can help," says Victor as he begins to chant "Show me the secret" and knocks the perchament with his index finger. 

The windows shut. The lamp turned off by itself. Books flying from the bookshelves like they are beginning to form tornado, surrounding them. 

"Victor... This is not good...." 

 

* * *

 

They are not sure how, but they manage to be in greenhouse in no time after the book tornado. It's a gloomy day in the greenhouse, somehow. The beauty of the tropical paradise is not here anymore. Fruit and vegetables that used to be planted neatly now seems like it is not well arranged. Both of them are speechless. Yuuri grips Victor's hand. "What has happened..." Yuuri whispers. 

From the four corners of the greenhouse, suddenly four giant tendrils and several smaller tendrils snakes towards Yuuri and Victor, fast and furious. They are cornered; and all of the sudden a voice jarring, "Be grateful, son of Nikiforov! Be grateful! You surely don't wanna leave!" 

"OF COURSE I'LL LEAVE!" Victor thunders back. "I'M DONE WITH THIS!" 

Yuuri grabs Victor's hand, pulling him to a door behind an apple tree. "Open it, Victor! Hurry before those tendrils devour us!" 

Knowing what to do, Victor begins to murmur a spell. 

_BRAKKK_!

The door swings open, Victor and Yuuri hurry to enter. The door closes itself. 

Now they are in a dark tunnel. Long way to go. 

"What now...?" Yuuri asks, overwhelmed in fear. Victor claps his hands and his fingertips begin to glow --- such as a human torch. 

There's nothing left to do except continue walking straight. This tunnel walls are made of stone. Some of the stones has patterns carved on it like a relief. And some of those patterns looks like a doodle, some others shaped like living creatures. 

They sometimes knocking the stones, hope there will be a hidden door or something. They continue for another metres. The tunnel seems darker and darker. 

"Whoah what's thaaat?" Victor cries. 

The arrives at a part of tunnel that has a lot of sarcophagi, lies in a row on left and right side of the tunnel. When Victor's light approaching them, the first sarcophagi in both lines  _whisper_.

"You better hurry, child." 

"You two don't want to be like us." 

Cold sweat drops on Victor's and Yuuri's forehead. "Excuse me, who are you....?" Whispers Victor, his voice trembling. 

"Your bastard ancestor," one of them replies.

"You sure has their blood of sassy-ness, Victor," whisper Yuuri to his lover. 

Victor ignores and continues to asks that sarcophagus, "So you are the Great Sergey... What happened to you, Your Majesty...?" 

"Same as you but a little bit late to realize. This is Nikiforov Family's fate, son. 

Nikiforov Family has been blinded by gold and power for ages. You know, your ancestors ended up having mental illness or dead caused by ridiculous reason, such as choked," sighs Sergey. "Lucky you, seems you have companion!" 

"Thank you, Lord Sergey, now what we have to do?" Asks Yuuri politely. 

"Don't know since my spirit trapped here." 

"That's useful, my lord. Maybe we should continue our walk," says Victor bitterly. 

"Glad to see you, son! Have a nice vacation!" Shouts the other sarcophagus. Some of the sarcophagi just humming in silent. 

"Bye, folks!" The last sarcophagus says. 

"Take care, all my lord!" Yuuri shouts back. 

"Take care of that bastard son of Nikiforov, dark-haired!" Cries one sarcophagus. 

Victor pulls Yuuri to hurry, "There's no use to interact with them, love." 

"At least try to be polite, Vitya!" 

Infinity metres to go, there's not much they can see. Both of them start to be a little bit frightened. Only last couple of minutes they had a talk with Victor's ancestor spirits. What will they meet in the next few metres? 

 

From a distance, Victor sees a glowing light aside of his fingertips. Victor approaches the light; and finds a bunch of gold and jewelry. Somehow, there are also some people near that bunch. 

_That's his papa, mama, and his older brother._  

"Mama! Papa! Nikita! You still alive...?!" 

"You want to leave us behind, don't you...?" Asks Mama Nikiforov. 

"After all I've build for you...?" Says Papa. 

"After all my sacrifice for you, brother?" Add Nikita. 

Victor can't help it. He wants to hug all of them, but they step backwards. 

"Why....?" Victor voices so desperately, "Don't you all love me...?" 

"We all love you, sweetheart, come with us. To our palace, meet our people." 

The Nikiforovs reveal what behind them. A lot of people, _chanting_ his name aloud. "Victor! Victor! Victor!" 

"We want to see you skate, Victor!" 

"We love you, Victor!" 

Victor's heart soar with excitement, "I miss you all! I miss you my people!" 

He can't contain the happiness right now. 

He embraces all of them, want to stay close to them and leave them never. 

He is destined to be the heir of this triumph. 

He is ready to conquer all the gold and glory. 

 

_He leaves Yuuri behind._  


	5. Things Just Got Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick Recap :  
> After Victor told Yuuri that he wants to get out of the damn castle with him, they seek for clue of the exit. After some magical events, they are trapped (again) in a mysterious tunnel. And finding the exit is more dangerous than they have imagined before...

"See? You are not destined to be loved." 

That creepy voice makes Yuuri shivers. Is that true? 

His parents died. His sister left him for good. Even his first pet ever, a parrot, died when its age is only one months. He's got expelled from his village because the dead of his parents "brought bad lucks to the villagers". Nobody really loves him, though, except his family. He used to stand by himself, rely on nothing but his own self. 

He should have known this from the very beginning. 

He can't keep Victor by his side. 

Feels of regret and desperation creep on his skin and engulfed him. 

"You are not good enough to be beside him." 

"For the sake of love my ass!" 

"You gonna cry all day long." 

 _Stop it! Stop!_ Yuuri's heart scatters. 

As dark mist covers him up and drags him to a dark lake, Yuuri feels dizzy and has no control over his body anymore. 

_Goodbye, Victor._

He closes his eyes as he ready to die in this place, right now because there's nothing left to do, in pieces and peace. 

 

* * *

 

How can Victor be blinded by just a mirage? And abandons the one he loves? 

As he continues to walk straight to reach the gold and hugs his family, they are seems to step backwards, over and over again, until Victor's head knocks the stone wall of the tunnel. There, his eyes are wide open, and the sudden realize hits him hard. Victor feels headache a little bit. He begins to cry. 

"Where are you??!!" Shouts Victor. No answer. His voice echoes. 

"Yuuri...?" 

Still, no answer. 

"Yuuri! Yuuri!" Victor turns back and run. Where's his Yuuri? Why he's not here? Does he abandon him? 

Victor keeps running. And found nothing in the dark, eventhough he has his light on his fingertips. He continues running without a particular direction. 

But in the end, his body betrays himself. His legs ache. His feet are swollen. It becomes worse when accidentally he trips onto a sharp stone. 

Big wounds on his left knee and some scars on his legs and his left lower arm. 

Exhausting, he lies his body on the ground. Stares blankly on the stone ceiling. 

How he ended up doing something dumb? 

In despair, he closes his eyes. 

 

* * *

 

_Can I love you?_

 

Victor doesn't have any idea how long he fell asleep. How he demands to wake up in his very own bedroom, or _anywhere_ , but not this endless tunnel. He start thinking if Yuuri is not a son of Nikiforov, then why he is trapped too, with him, in this castle? Why he can find another room, but not the exit? 

 _Yuuri_. 

 _I must find Yuuri, no matter what,_ Victor mutters. He is very sure Yuuri must have been in this tunnel, somewhere, aside of possibility that Yuuri may have found the exit. But in the intense darkness like this, Victor isn't sure about that. 

So he starts walking, touching and reading every relief carved on the stone wall, just like Yuuri did. And occasionally knocking some peculiar stones, just like Yuuri did. Now, everything reminds him of Yuuri. 

_How he could be that stupid._

Victor's mind focusing on a series of relief. It shows drawing of a bunch of people, walking in line to something. Victor's finger keep trailing on the relief. The next image after the first person in that line is a _lake_ , and beside the lake there's a carving of human with sad face, looks like he's the guardian of the lake. The man on the wall seems _counting_ how much people that are gonna _dive_ the lake. 

Victor continues tracking down the relief. It shows conditions in the lake deep. There's a boat, sailing under the water just like submarine, carrying those people who are in the line before. Next to the boat, there is a giant creature whose size is the same as the boat, or slightly bigger, with tentacles. Looks like a giant squid. 

How big a lake can be? 

Victor's mind starts to play a game of angst. What if Yuuri is in the line? What if people in the line are for that giant squid to feed? What if Yuuri is taken as the boat crew? What if Yuuri is taken as the lake guardian's protege? 

He must find the lake guardian as the guardian might be the only person beside him and Yuuri in this tunnel. He might have information regarding the exit. 

The problem now is, how he finds the way there? _Come on, Victor. Think like Yuuri_ , he tells himself. He is in deep thinking he accidentally presses the picture of lake. Somehow, the "lake" propels itself out, and turns out it is a hidden drawer with a scroll in it. 

 _Another scroll, eh?_ Great, it provides the "You Are Here" sign. When Victor takes several steps forward, the sign changes position, too. Holy! This behaves like GPS! Victor then follows the arrow shown in the map, running through the path just as the map showing. Turns left on the T-junction, running straight, turns right.... Never-ending turns, but never mind. His ankle start to ache. His whole body sore and feels hot. Drop by drop of sweats starts making his cloth wet. He feels so uncomfortable now. 

He continues to run, eventually. When he gets tired, he walks. When he gets more tired, he crawls. One inch, one centimetres, that's all matters. He seldom stops to catch a breath. Yuuri is his air; all he wants to do is get an ample amount of Yuuri; his whole body and soul. That seems just right and enough.

Then Victor notices a dim glow of light from afar. He looks at the map; the arrow on the map shows the same direction as the light. So, it wants him to approach the light. His soul is lit and he finds new motivation. He runs towards the light. Hope that it is not another mirage. Now he doesn’t care his ankle is bleeding. He keeps running.

His tiredness is paid as a line of people appears in front of him. He is running, passing the line, searching for a lake guardian. The line is so long, it takes tens of people before he reaches the first people on the line. Among those people, he doesn’t find Yuuri.

“Excuse me,” Victor asks the guardian, “Did you see a dark-haired man with fair complexion, wearing a black robe, with dark eyes? Oh, he is also a little bit fat.”

“What do you want, son of Nikiforov?” He asks back.

“I… I want to take him back.”

“No way.”

“Please…?”

“Son, he wants to wash away his severe anxiety in this lake, and once he washed it away, the lake will take his soul too, so, no turning back.”

“There must be a way!”

“Holy! You just sounded like another son of Nikiforov! At first I wondered how a stranger arrived in this hell! It turns out that you dragged him here!”

“Actually, he and I search for the exit of this castle,” Victor tries to keep calm, “But _we_ ended up trapped in this damn tunnel!”

The guardian gazes into Victor’s eyes, quietly.

“Please, Sir,” Victor sounds desperately, “I have to rescue someone I love and have a better future together.”

They exchanging looks.

“Well, there’s no other way except you must dive yourself to the lake… But be careful and be quick, because the lake will turn you and your companion to ash…” The guardian says, gloomily.

“Oh, thank you so much, Sir!”

Victor takes a deep breath and dive. To his surprise, the underwater seems not as dark as he imagined before. And _he can breathe underwater_. The guardian must cast a spell onto him. He tries to swim fast; but his muscles are sore because of running in a long time. He dives deepen.

He sees another human swimming, but not Yuuri. He continues swimming to another side. Suddenly he catches a boat, just like in the relief he has seen before, submerging to the deep. There’s a lot of people in that boat, with one person standing in the prow. That must be the captain. Victor decides to hide behind a coral nearby; he needs to examine the situation first.

One stranger steps forward to the prow; just in front of the captain. He looks like waiting for something. Then, a _tentacle_ approaches that stranger. The tentacle belongs to a giant squid, just like what Victor saw on the stone wall. After the tentacle coiled around the man, the giant squid devour his body very quickly.

 _What a horrible vista_ , Victor thinks. _What if Yuuri is in that boat?_

He swims carefully to get closer to the boat. As if near the boat is not enough, Victor climbs the boat and begins to stand in line. No sign of Yuuri. He walks past the last person in line, checking one by one. People in line ignore Victor, as if they are losing consciousness. They stare blankly to the prow. They do whatever the captain tells to. Kind of _enchanted_.

More people down, more people to go, but still no Yuuri. Victor tiptoes beside the line, avoiding the captain’s eyes.

Gladly, he finds Yuuri after all. But unfortunately, he is now the fifth person in line.

“People always want to be the last in line, but you are different,” says the captain, coldly, while looking at Victor. His voices send chill into Victor’s spine.

There’s nothing to hide anymore. Victor quickly grabs Yuuri’s arm and hold his body tight. “I want to take him with me,” says Victor. Yuuri says nothing. He must be under a spell. Yuuri’s body is so cold it almost freezing.

“Unless you want to be feed on that great squid, he can be free,” tells the captain.

“We both are not gonna be feed on that stupid squid!” Victor says angrily.

“No time, child. Look.”

The only one that left is a young man, right before Yuuri. No mercy upon him. He is devoured in pieces, his blood is spilled in all direction, makes the lake water has shade of red. Soon, that devilish tentacle entangles Yuuri’s body. Victor has no other choice than gripping the tentacle with both of his hands. “STOP!” He yells, but that’s useless. His two legs are free in the water now as the tentacle lift both him and Yuuri. Victor bites the tentacle; not just in one spot but _every inch_ he can. Slowly but surely, he crawls along the tentacle while holding it tight, make sure that he is safe. He does all he can; punching, pinching, biting, scratching, whatever.

As Yuuri’s body get closer to this creature’s mouth, Victor try to stand on the slimy tentacle, try to reach its gigantic eyes. He stops the squid by stabbing one of his eye; but it doesn’t work, as if there is a shield of slime that protect its eye. Yuuri is in danger. Only a few inches again until he is in this giant’s mouth.

Victor tries to concentrate to perform the magic. But performing magic in this tunnel is harder than in his castle; back then, the glow from his fingertips somehow dimmer when he go further.

“Freeze!”

Still no effect. His time is running out. He memorizes how Yuuri knocked on his door for the first time, how Yuuri cooked his breakfast, how Yuuri took his hand and brought him to greenhouse. His eyes when he saw fresh vegetables, his clumsy feet when he tried dancing with him, when they danced through that door….

“GODDAMN PLEASE FREEZE!”

A miracle happens, the giant is frozen in a giant iceberg, and luckily, the giant iceberg excludes Yuuri’s body. Victor swims and breaks the ice around Yuuri.

_But the magic does not last longer as that giant moves slightly._

Victor holds Yuuri and swims to the surface of the lake. It takes a few minutes just to arrive at the surface of water. At the lakeside, Victor lies Yuuri’s body next to the lake guardian. “Hi,” Victor says, “Miss me?”

Yuuri’s body gets warmer but he is still unconscious. He kisses Yuuri’s forehead three times and caress his hair. “Tell me this spell surrounding him is not last longer, Sir,” says Victor hopelessly. Yuuri looks so pale and thin. “The spell is not last longer, child, but you must take him to his former place as soon as you can,” says the guardian quietly. The guardian cups his hands in Yuuri’s mouth, shut his eyes, saying some spell. “Now he is in a deep sleep,” he says, “I feel that he is belong to the forest; am I right?” “Yes, Sir, he used to live by the woods,” Victor explains.

“Then, take him back home, son of Nikiforov, as soon as you can. He used to be a free man.”

“Sir? Do you know why he is trapped here with me?”

“I’m not sure, but maybe it is a matter of fate,” the guardian says softly, “He owns his castle named ‘anxiety’, he has to free himself from that.”

Victor can’t say anything. He used to know his lover as a cheerful boy, a free hunter.

“What about me?” Victor asks curiously, “Can the curse that traps me here be diminished?”

The guardian frowns. “It depends on you. This curse is made by your second oldest ancestor, as he witnessed his father was wrecked by proud and riches. Power, proud, wealth, are like a double-edged sword, son. Power and wealth can be used to help people in need; but at the same time, you can use it as your weapon to crush people. And sadly, most Nikiforovs didn’t learn from experience.”

Victor’s body stiffens. He closes his eyes. _How can I be so blind_? His people watched him back then when he was skating on the ice, people idolize him, people praise him. And that makes Victor’s heart as hard as this stone wall that surrounds him. Such a pity when you have people supports you yet you feel weak.

“To protect every son of Nikiforov from destroying everything, and to give every son of Nikiforov a lesson so they will realize how bad that are, the second oldest of your ancestor cursed every Nikiforov Family’s castle and residence, to not letting a way-too-arrogant Nikiforov go.”

The fact hits Victor like several fallen bricks.

“To where I must go, Sir?”

“I don’t know, but keep going straight seems to be the safest option.”

“I don’t know how to thank you, Sir.”

“Yuuri is a good teacher, you know. He even successfully teaches you about manner.”

“I owe you, Sir, hey what’s your name?”

“Abram Nikiforov. I am your oldest ancestor; has been trapped here forever.”

 

* * *

 

Carrying Yuuri like he carries his bride, Victor is running straight passing never-ending stone walls. Occasionally, he tracks the relief that carved on the stone wall. He ignores his own painful and fatigue, he doesn’t care which foot of his that bleeds. His cloth is already torn and dirty. He pants as he runs longer and farther, and once again, he stumbles and fall. Fortunately, he catches Yuuri just on time.

He needs time to rest so bad he even not trying to get up and continue their journey. He tries to summon a bowl of katsudon, just like Yuuri cooked for him back then. So, he casts a magic spell, but somehow his ability weakens, he gets a cup of noodle instead.

He still eats that, though, because he is starving. Even the noodle he summons does not even has taste, seems like this cup of noodle only seasoned with a few of salt.

His body is extremely weak now. He wonders what time is it; how long they have been here. Now, the only thing he wants is get out of here sooner, with Yuuri wrapped in his arms. _What if we will be trapped here forever?  We will make a good family with Abram,_ he thinks.

 _And thus we are the next lake guardian? Or worse, the next captain and crew? It’s a big no_.

His eyes now are heavy he can’t keep those opened. Yuuri is still sleeping; his chest is up and down rhythmically. Seeing Yuuri like that, he can’t resist his sleep need. Soon, he falls asleep.

Several minutes’ passes as Yuuri wakes up next to Victor, and soon he finds out that Victor’s ankles and knee is bleeding, bruises and scratches almost everywhere. Yuuri tears a few inches of his robe and uses it as a bandage to stop Victor’s bleeding at both of his ankle and his knee. _How did you find me? Where’s your family and all those treasures?_ He wonders. After all, he glad that Victor comes back to him. Yuuri swears that he will never let Victor go alone again. He knows very well that he loves him, and Victor loves him back. Maybe the incident when Victor and he separated is just a misunderstanding. Now they are here, together, ready to leave.

Yuuri gently caresses his lover’s hair, put his bangs aside to see his face clearly. He looks very pale and thinner than the first day they met. He feels guilty. He is overwhelmed by worry and fear. He looks at the stone ceiling; a teardrop or two starts falling on his cheeks. Darkness is used to be a hunter’s best friend, but this time is different. It’s too frightening, this silent tunnel, without a howl of wolf and the owl’s cuckoo. _And why doesn’t he heal himself with his magic?_ Asks Yuuri deep in his thought.

He can’t resist the desire to kiss Victor’s lips.

_Just one kiss is okay._

When Yuuri kisses Victor, he feels warmth of Victor’s arms around his body. “Why you stop, Yuuri?” Victor’s demanding. He is already waking up. Yuuri smiles, “What happen to your ankles, Vitya?”

“Nothing important,” he assures his lover, then he cast a spell, “Heal.”

“Now open the bandage,” asks Victor. Yuuri nods, he unwraps the fabric on Victor’s ankles. To their surprise, Victor’s ankles is still injured and blood is spilled out. Yuuri tears another piece of fabric from his robe and wraps Victor’s ankle with them.

“Cloth,” casts Victor, and still nothing happens to Yuuri’s teared robe. Luckily, he still has his trousers underneath his robe.

“My magic soon will disappear as we get through this tunnel,” Victor explains, “Because my magic ability seems faded as I go further.”

Yuuri nods. “It’s okay, we will manage to get out of here, with magic or not.”

“Look at that,” Victor points a little hole on the stone wall, “drops of water makes a hole in that stone.”

Yuuri squints his eyes, “Where?”

“Over there, Yuuri!”

“Sorry, I have a poor eyesight.”

“Doesn’t a hunter have a good eyesight?”

“Mostly yes; but I am not. I rely on my other senses to hunt, such as hearing and smelling.”

Yuuri squints his eyes again, “Maybe behind that wall there is a river or lake,” he claims.

“So the exit must be on that wall! Come on, Yuuri!” Says Victor.

They continue their journey, walking hand in hand. Sometimes they stop just to relieving Victor’s pain. They knock every possible stone and track down the reliefs as usual. They also try to pull out some smaller stone.

The tunnel seems darker as the glow on Victor’s fingertips gets dimmer and the tunnel is narrowed as they walk through. The next few minutes they arrive at another T-junction.

“We have to keep in touch with our hypothetical river, Vitya, so… Turn left?” Suggests Yuuri.

“Let’s do it, then, sweetie.”

They turn left and find nothing but a narrower tunnel than before. The stone looks rougher and well-assembled. No drop of water coming from the void between the stones. Silent. Most likely slightly less oxygen.

Something just _roared_ ; they hear something moves _towards_ them, something that they aren’t expect.

A big, gold lion is ready to devour them. With bulgy, flexible muscles and those flashing golden mane, it offers paradise’s beauty as well as terror from hell. It is running so fast and tries to charge both of them. Yuuri pushes Victor to the one side of wall. “Let me handle this, Victor, just wait here and prone on the ground!”

“Wait, Yuuri…!”

Yuuri ignores him and runs towards the lion. He takes a leap to charge the lion _as a black jaguar._

_He never expects Yuuri to be a shape-shifter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Thank you for reading this I hope y'all enjoy this ;D  
> I used to update the chapter once every 3 days, but for the last chapter I can't guarantee to update it so soon because I have to deal with a bunch of college tasks T^T 
> 
> Once again, thank you!


	6. As The Stars Shining Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More weird things, more magic, and the new heroes coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK thanks to you who read, subscribe, and give kudos! This is the last chapter of my story; hopefully it is not my last work.  
> Sorry for some grammatical errors and stuffs, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.  
> Cheers!

Yuuri the Jaguar has a body with solid black in color, convincing muscle, yellowish eyes, and a long, black tail. He is not take his eyes on the golden lion in front of him, even once. Scratches are all over his body, his one hind limb is bleeding. 

The lion has got injured, too. Yuuri even scratch its face, make a long wound across its left eye. Bite-mark on its neck and its back. Countless leaps, never-ending wrestling. A lot of injuries. Sometimes they go on aerial battle. 

Victor just prone on the ground; he dares not to move. 

The lion scratch Yuuri's face. Victor just want to cry as he can't help anything. Rolling on the ground for a few seconds, Yuuri stands up again and continue to fight the demon lion. As soon as Yuuri charges the lion, he grabs the lion's front limb and bites it. The lion's roaring indicates that it is in pain. Yuuri keeps biting that limb, he isn't pull out his sharp teeth from it. But the next second, the lion can toss Yuuri's body from it, and take a leap towards Yuuri. 

And this is the most horrible part; the lion tries to bite Yuuri's neck. Fortunately, Yuuri dodges just in time and turns himself as a raven. His crow echoing all over the tunnel. That makes the golden lion roar even louder. 

Yuuri scratches the lion's head with his claws, tries to pierce the lion's eye, but he dodges so quick and throw Yuuri the Raven to the ground. A little "crack" comes from Yuuri's body, makes him difficult to move. The lion approaches him and about to steps on his body. With every strength and courage, Victor runs towards the crow and take him away from the lion. 

The lion runs to catch Victor furiously. Hopeless, Victor tries to cast a spell. Some mouthy words to says, much like a mumble. Looks like it is one of the strongest spell he excels in. 

He faces the lion and completes the spell as he points the lion with his index finger. 

The attempts seem to fail because blood spills all over Victor's body from his ear and mouth; while the lion looks just fine and strong, it roars. Victor can't move. He sits down in agony while his blood keep spilled out. 

Yuuri somehow gain his strength again, strong enough to shape-shifts into his human form, and stand up facing the lion.

He inhales. 

He screams in high pitch and stunned the lion so it stops moving for a while. 

As one kind of magic is not enough, the lion starts to roar louder and louder because his body suddenly is on fire. 

Victor's spell works. 

"I can take care of those, Yuuri," Victor says bitterly, "Back off." 

"How can I 'back off', Vitya, I---" 

He steps forward, cast another spell, and blows up a kiss. 

The golden lion turns into dust. 

"Did you just blow up a kiss of death?" Yuuri asks. Yuuri turns to Victor, but all he sees is him lying on the ground, throws up blood. 

"Victor!" Yuuri shouts and he runs to carry him. He tries to lift his lover's body but his legs are weak. He wobbles and can't stand up for too long. 

"No need to do this, ok? Just lie here beside me," Victor says subtly. Yuuri nods because there's nothing else he can do. “Let us just count the stars, eh, Vitya?”

“What stars, Yuuri? Probably we are underground now!” Victor grins. The blood stop spilling from his mouth, luckily.

“Just to make your mental ready to see the real stars,” Yuuri giggles.

“Counting one, two stars~” Yuuri starts singing. They hum many lullabies and Victor teaches Yuuri several folk songs.

“… Oh you must see the squid by yourself! Very frightening, those giant devilish eyes will make you wanna pee in your pants!” Victor’s sounds very vibrant.

“I know you will, Vitya,” Yuuri laughs with joy. “Remember our time with sarcophagi?”

“Who can forget it?” Vitya also laughs, “Eventually, I love my bastard ancestor!”  

“What if we turn to a spirit? What kind of sarcophagus we will use?” Asks Yuuri with giggle.

“I’d like it glamour and icy,” says Victor.

“I’d like it simple,” adds Yuuri.

“With a head of black jaguar carved on your sarcophagus.”

They both giggle.

“This topic sounds creepy,” Yuuri suddenly realizes, “I don’t want to be trapped in a sarcophagus.”

“Me too,” says Victor.

“I want to die under the moonlight,” sighs Yuuri.

“YOU ARE NOT GONNA DIE YUURI HOW ‘BOUT ME?” Victor thunders.

“I’m sorry, Vitya.”

“Come here closer, Yuuri, let me hold you.”

Yuuri does as he is told to. He places his head onto Victor’s chest and wrap Victor’s body around his fingers. Still much pain for them to bear, their muscles are still sore. Victor’s one ankle starts to swell, and Yuuri’s back feels like burning because of the golden lion’s scratch. His vision is blurry and his thighs are terrible injured.

“Don’t do that again, okay, honey?” says Victor.

“Do what?” Yuuri replies.

“Fight until dead.”

“That’s because I don’t want _you_ to die, Vitya.”

“You’re a sexy jaguar back then.”

“Back to the main topic, Victor?”

“What topic? We just babbling all the time.”

“Now I dare you to make a pick-up line for me.”

“Roses are red…”

“That’s so lame, Vitya.” Yuuri laughs.

“I am not even finish yet!”

“No need to, you sound too cheesy.”

“That’s why you love me.”  

They laugh so hard until their stomach ache.

“Oh, so you are a shape-shifter.”

Yuuri nods. Yuuri says that it’s nature’s blessing upon him. When he knew that his parents died, a wind nymph hugged him tight, whispering that she was very sorry and some magic words. It would help Yuuri to continue his life as he was too precious to die. That’s her saying back then.

Victor feels heavy on his chest. He looks at Yuuri and finds out that Yuuri’s crying. His eyes are already swollen, puffy, and red. Tears rolling down his cheek, makes Victor’s cloth wet. His lips are trembling and his body is shaking. Yuuri looks at Victor, “I don’t want to die here.”

“Me too, Yuuri, so what’s going on?”

“I love you, Vitya…”

“I love you, Yuuri.”

“Don’t leave me, stay close to me forever…”

“I will always be, Yuuri.”

He sobs and speaks, “I’m afraid I’m not good enough for you.”

“Ridiculous, Yuuri, you are the best thing I ever had!”

Yuuri continues his sobbing, not even calms down. Victor remembers that Abram was talking about anxiety, that Yuuri is trapped in the castle of anxiety. This castle also gives him lesson. They are both prisoner in their own problems. All he wants is Yuuri knows that he is not alone. In the middle of his sobs, Yuuri tells him about his dead parents, how his parents died because of a deadly storm in the middle of the ocean when the two went overseas, selling goods and exotic fruit and vegetables from the village. Yuuri was told by another merchant from his village that he found his parents’ body floating on the surface of the ocean. Yuuri was alone when he heard that shocking news; his sister already left for good and had no contact with Yuuri because of the distance. 

“Everybody left me, Vitya, I don’t wanna be by myself anymore,” says Yuuri.

“Hug me tight, Yuuri, for I am here.”

“If I die, I want to die with you.”

“Nobody will die tonight.”

Yuuri groans. His whole body starts to ache and feels like burning. “Don’t touch my back, Vitya, it hurts, I’m sorry,” he groans. Victor put his hand aside from Yuuri’s back. Suddenly, blood spills from Victor’s nose. It feels so hot and his nose feels like melting. Yuuri cleans Victor’s nose by the tip of his robe. Victor feels guilty; after he left his Yuuri behind, he can’t protect him well; he even just prone on the ground when Yuuri had battle with that golden lion. Yuuri is injured because of him.

“I am ready to continue, Victor,” says Yuuri as he gets himself ready.

“Are you okay, Yuuri? Shall we go now?”

“But if you don’t want to, it’s okay.”

“No no no, I am ready as you ready.”

Both get on their feet and holding hands. They cannot run anymore, so they decide to walk. They still knocking on some stone and trails relief carved on it. They will stop for a while to catch a breath and take care of each other’s wound. Both Yuuri and Victor have one part of body that swell because of infection, so they must take a rest. Yuuri claims that he knows a hundred kinds of herbs that can cure infection and wound. He promises Victor to cure him once they manage to live in his small cottage. “Once we have our first winter, I will take you to the frozen lake to teach you my quadruple flip!” Says Victor, full of excitement.

They walk for another mile and hears some noise. They are sure that the thing approaching them are _running_ and _barking_. _Is that a ferocious dog that wants to take revenge of their best friend’s dead? Is that another giant creature? Better to not shape-shifting as a big cat, Yuuri. And practice your spell right now, Victor._ They are cold-sweating and grip each other hand tighter than before. They soon get ready to defeat that monster, but the next things that showed up doesn’t need violence to be tame.

It’s still a giant creature, though, but a _giant poodle_ that is very tall; as high as Yuuri’s shoulder. That giant poodle is carrying its pup, a smaller poodle but still huge, that got injured. Its tail is bleeding and seems like it’s gonna be broken. “Woof,” the puppy barks slowly.

The bigger poodle makes an expression, a _sad_ expression, indicating the “please-help-my-son” thing. Yuuri had once cured the injured cattle back then, but that time he had herbs around him. What this dog expects from him? All he can do now is tears his robe again and wraps it around the puppy’s tail. “I’m sorry, pup, but this is the best I can do,” says Yuuri. He pats the puppy’s head and strokes the bigger one’s hair. Victor wants to cast a healing spell, but Yuuri forbid him for he is too weak to perform magic.

“Victor, do you have any idea how they arrived here?” Yuuri wonder.

_If these dogs know how to get there, they must know how to get out of here,_ Victor thinks.

“Hey, good doggo,” asks Victor gently to the bigger poodle, “Do you know where’s the exit?”

“Woof!” The poodle answers like it knows what Victor asks. Then, the poodle licks Victor’s knee and thank god, the wound on Victor’s knee suddenly fades and gets better. _Thank God and Universe you sent us a giant dog with healing licks._ “Hey, doggo, can you cure my lover’s back?” Asks Victor while he exposes Yuuri’s back. Yuuri’s face blushes. “I love you but it doesn’t mean you can take off my robe without asking me!” He snorts. Victor just smiles and giggles. The smaller poodle then licks a whole of Yuuri’s back. The scratches just fade away like it’s never been there before.

“Thank you so much!” Yuuri hugs them close, “Can you lead us to the exit?”

“Woof!” They bark. The bigger poodle then knocks the ground and gesturing something.

“Wait, I don’t understand,” says Victor, “We’ll handle your son so you can communicate better.”

Yuuri carries the smaller dog in his arms. The bigger dog knocks the ground and pretends to _dig_ it. “Woof!” It barks. Victor and Yuuri looks at each other.

“Are you _sure_ you want to dig the ground…?” Asks Yuuri. The bigger dog says, “Woof!”

These dogs surely have soft paws; but with those paws, the bigger dog can dig the ground so fast; it turns out that this dog has strong claws that well hidden beneath its hair. The dog also removes the stone that present in the hard soil ground aside. After it digs for 15 minutes, that giant poodle finds a big stone. “Wooof!” It barks, signing _help me to remove this_!

Yuuri put the smaller pup on the ground and help Victor lift the stone and remove it aside. After they remove the stone, they can see a narrow, dark pit, lead to somewhere. “Should we give this a shot?” Victor doubts his thinking. “You go first, Makkachin.”

“Who’s Makkachin?” Asks Yuuri.

“The bigger dog. And how do we call the smaller dog?”

“Hmmm…. Vicchan? But how do you know its name is Makkachin?”

“Dunno, it’s just pop out of my head. Ok, you first, Makkachin.”

“Woof!” It barks, then it slides down the pit. Its barks faded as it slides down further.

“We have no choice, Victor, I’ll go second, you will be the third, and Vicchan will be the last. Off we go!” says Yuuri, and he slides down to what seems like an endless darkness.

Victor is not a fan of a tunnel, especially a dark one. Oh, more specific, he is not a fan of a dark tunnel inside a dark tunnel. But Yuuri is right; they have no choice. He jumps and slides down the narrow pit.

This narrow pit is very dark and at first, Victor cannot see anything. Coldness spread inside his body and makes him shivers. He can barely hear Vicchan barks as it slides down. He tries to cast an illuminating spell, just like he did when he first enters this damn tunnel with Yuuri. But it does not work anymore. He is surrounded by darkness for the unknown time.

He shouts, loud, “Yuuuriiiiii!”

No answers. Victor is panicking.

“YUUUURIIII DO YOU HEAR MEEEE? ARE YOU THEEEEEERE?”

Then he hears a faint voice from afar, “I’m heeeeere!”

The pit gets sloppier and his moves is slower than before. Victor thinks that he is approaching the end of this tunnel. The tunnel gets wider and brighter, and in no time, he sees Yuuri and Makkachin at the end of the tunnel, standing in a small space that surrounds by solid soil.

He steps on a solid ground and runs towards Yuuri. Vicchan arrives just a minute after him.

“Yuuri!” He hugs Yuuri, “Okay, where are we?”

Yuuri shrugs and both look around. Bones were planted on the sides of this space; looks like fossils. They find some peculiar skulls and something looks like fins and flippers. There are also some fossilized shells. They realize that they are stepping on the ground used to be a part of ancient sea.

There is only one way that leads to somewhere. Makkachin go that way and the rest have no other options except following this giant dog. They go through another tunnel that not as narrow as before. On the solid soil walls, more bones are planted, and the bones even have more peculiar shape. After a few miles, they find another hole on the ground, but not like another tunnel or pit before, it filled with water. Makkachin barks again and starts to eat some grasses that oddly grows around the hole.

_A dog eats grasses?_

The rest just follow what Makkachin does. It takes only one bite to make Victor and Yuuri want to throw up because the grasses are very bitter. Vicchan and Makkachin, knowing this, hide their claws and put their soft paws on Yuuri’s and Victor’s mouth, prompting them to swallow the grasses. Yuuri’s face turns blue while Victor suffers from cold-sweating. After they successfully swallow the grasses, they drink from the water that filled the hole, but holy, this water is so salty!

Makkachin inspects the rest to make sure they are ready to continue their tiring journey, it licks Yuuri, Victor, and Vicchan on their face. Makkachin nods and starts to dive casually, like it has done it before. The second who dives is Vicchan. Both Yuuri and Victor gulps, and Victor is the third diving, followed by Yuuri.

_They all can breathe easily. Maybe it’s because that gross grasses. And this sea is not like what Victor and Yuuri have imagined before._

The sea is so beautiful with a school of colorful fish swimming gracefully, eel that hide behind a beautiful coral waiting for its prey, clown fishes swimming between the anemone, a big turtle which probably has lived for hundreds of years. And do not forget the large manta ray and a harmless shark once approaching them. The sea water is just as amazing as its biota; it is blue and crystal clear revealing its beauty and the sun shining through the sea water.

_For the first time in twenty years, Victor directly feels the warmth of sunlight._

They spot a shipwreck on the sea floor, looks like it abandoned for years. Victor realizes that the ship (or boat) they see is the same as he saw before, in the dark lake. Near the boat there is a decayed body of a large, no, giant squid. _Victor did was just amazing,_ thinks Yuuri, _he made that thing froze to save me_.

Makkachin and Vicchan swim to an underwater tunnel. _Oh God, more tunnels?_ Victor thinks. He is so sick of darkness and narrow place like tunnels, and so is Yuuri. Makkachin and Vicchan wait for the two humans in the entrance of the tunnel. One by one, they swim through the tunnel.

There are several stalactite and stalagmite inside the tunnel, so apparently, this tunnel is a tidier version of underwater cave. No fish, no other creature, just four of them. Some stalactite and stalagmite glow in the dark and has different colors. They just swim straight. Makkachin’s and Vicchan’s tail are glowing in the dark, too, and that makes Victor and Yuuri easier to recognized them in the dark.

A turtle passes by, its eyes are like black pearl, swimming without a certain direction. Its head knocks the tunnel’s wall and he turns back. Victor and Yuuri is exchanging looks, they already know that the turtle lost its way. Without Makkachin and Vicchan, they probably still wandering in the underground tunnel and die because of starvation.

The tunnel is not as deep as they think. As soon as they reach the exit of the tunnel, Makkachin and the rest emerges to the sea surface. Victor and Yuuri look around. Pines and a waterfall surrounding them. Some birds drinking water on the side. A lazy lizard lies on a rock, its body faces towards the direction of sunlight. That tunnel connects the sea and this isolated lake. They swim to the lakeside and take a rest.

“Officially outside, eh?” Yuuri squeezes Victor’s hand. Makkachin and Vicchan playing with the wild flowers and chasing birds, then the two lies their body on the ground and close their eyes, taking a quick nap.

Victor takes a deep breath. He inhales the fresh air as much as he can. He feels the warmth of sunlight and his fingertips trailing the grasses that tickling his feet. He lies his body on the grasses, pulling Yuuri’s body to get him closer. As he strokes Yuuri’s dark hair, he says, “After all we’ve been through, Yuuri, this is the best place I’ve ever wanted to live.”

Yuuri squints his eyes, trying to remember something. He feels like he has been here before. And all the memories strikes his mind.

“This is where I fell asleep, Victor, that occasion that brought me to you.”

Victor kisses Yuuri’s head and look at the sun that shining mildly. “Is it going to be twilight now? Isn’t it better to hurry?”

Yuuri sits and seems like remembering something. “Let us four live in my cottage,” Yuuri stands up, “I’ll show you the way. Wake Makkachin and Vicchan up, and we must get ready.”

Yuuri leads the troop, heading to the south. They wander through a bunch of trees and tall pines. An owl’s cuckoo accompanying them, followed by a family of squirrels that heading to their home in a tree hole, each of them carrying food inside their mouth. A medium-sized snake slithers between decayed tree trunks. While some animals go back home to take the rest, some others wake up and hunt their prey; the nocturnal such as the tiger, puma, and bobcats. The wolves’ howls can be heard from afar.

The night comes and they do not reach Yuuri’s cottage yet. “What’s wrong, Yuuri?” Asks Victor. “I don’t remember where must I go, Victor, we lost our way,” Yuuri replies, hopeless. “We are strong enough to camp here, love, take your time,” says Victor, kisses Yuuri’s forehead.

Yuuri closes his eyes and inhales.

_You have trusted instinct, Yuuri._

Yuuri opens his eyes and begins to look around and smells the wind. He touches a tree’s bark and finds some scratches. He smells that scratches.

“This is the mark I’ve scratched when I shape-shifted to a black jaguar for hunting, several years ago,” Yuuri explains, “It’s pretty odd to find this several years later at the same place.”

He smells the wind again and gesturing “Over here” to the rest. They walk in silence as Yuuri tries to catch some noise and smell the wind. He touches every bark that smelled like his body in jaguar form. This night is a bright night without clouds, yet it is still darkening as the time passes by. It is hard to tell what thing that appears before you in the night like this, but Yuuri has the nature’s blessing he still can see in the darkness.

The moon shining through the tree leaves, enlighten a small, rocky path between the pines.

“Victor! I know that! Follow me!” Yuuri shouts and running through the path. “Yuuri! Do we really need to run?” Asks Victor, panting. Makkachin and Vicchan look so happy, this “follow-the-path” is such as a game for them. Yuuri does not reply, he runs even faster. “I know it, Vitya! I know it!” Shouts Yuuri happily.

“Whaaat?” Shouts Victor back.

“This is the path me and my father used to walk when we’re done fishing!”

They continue to run with Makkachin and Vicchan bark so loudly, the pines and the other trees are more apart of each other. Another two miles and they arrive at a large field with a small cottage, outside bathroom, and a well. Makkachin and Vicchan already take their “post” near the well and sleep peacefully because the cottage’s door is too small for them to go inside.

“Welcome, Victor,” Yuuri says while he is puffing, “Not as good as yours, but, more natural. Oh, maybe we should enlarge the door tomorrow.”

“And warmer,” adds Victor. He looks up to the night sky above. He gasps and stare at it without blinking his eyes.

“Is that real stars? Am I dreaming?”

Yuuri shakes his head slowly as he looks at Victor, and come closer to him. Here they are, in the moonlight, almost silent night, just the two of them. Victor pulls Yuuri closer to him, admiring his reddened cheek. Yuuri strokes his lover cheek and both gazing into each other’s eyes.

Victor's hole in his heart is now filled with love and joy, knowing that he has one big family of the man he loves and two cute doggies.

Nothing would be more perfect than kissing each other’s lips.


End file.
